Question to all: does AER sounds $1100 better?

In America, the AER is 3.5 times greater the price of the mini. And upon listening to your demos...the mini sounds better to me. (And that's why I have a mini.)

Came for amps stayed for lovely performance !🙌

The Loudbox Mini is simply AWESOME value for money! I use it as a piano amp (even for outdoor live gigs), and a colleague of mine even plays double bass over it with great results (acoustic jazz). No brainer purchase!!

Really well done video. Thank you for digging in.

Forgot to mention, simply an outstanding review and comparison. Thanks!!

The AER sounds more natural to my ear -- and the separation on the highs is insane. Great review -- thanks!

Nice chords . . . and I appreciate your using the various guitars .

I'm not sure if it's just how you have them set, but the Fishman sounds more like what I imagine your guitar sounding like unplugged. Both sound great, but I'd go with the fishman

Very good demo. I had the Fishman mini and let it go when I purchased a Bose S1 Pro. I love the Bose but also wish I would have kept the Fishman Mini. It held up well against the AER which is more than double the money. I actually found the AER vocal a little too saturated. But that could simply be a dialing in issue with a amp you're not accustomed with. Both sound great musically. I believe the AER may have the slight edge if it was paired with a Jazz style guitar. But simple economics for the price difference brings me back to the Fishman. Both are great and your playing and vocals exemplary.

Nice review. Actually the AER has a "pan" button for the effects. So you can pan / mix the effect on the two channels (so it's not true that if you dial an effect in, it will equally be on both channels). The AER also has a AUX in, on the back, and phantom power. (but maybe you have an older model, because on yours I cannot see it?)

I like the Fishmann. Nice bite and clarity.

outstanding review and fabulous playing

This video is so perfectly what we need. A pre-purchase must.

I had both, bought $300 fishman loudbox mini charge displayed model, so big discounted, and $1200 Aer 60/4 newer version. If I have to buy one of them, I will choose Fishman loudbox and pedal( comp and nice pre amp). Aer sounds better as you know but also needs more pedals. under $1k, you can make high end acoustic sounds with fishman and pedals.

Thanks, great comparison, very helpful! I prefer the Fishman's warmth in these samples. The sound has more body and sounds like it better represents the guitars' natural sound (if that can even be determined with accuracy, etc); the AER sounds almost subtractive and thinner, like it removes the guitars' low mids or something (in the name of transparency?). Anyway, I suppose it could be argued that the Fishman circuit accentuates the lower mids, although, having compared the Loudbox Mini to it's bigger brother the Loudbox Artist in person, I always have preferred the mini, because it sounds like my guitar, only louder and the Artist sounds boxier, more mid-heavy. P.D. The vocal sounds clearer through the AER🙂

Thanks. This is the comparison I wanted. Had not across it anywhere else.

I love the AER! I will buy one this week! Salute! That Fishman sounds great with the Shure

Really liked your review! Thank you! For me the Fishman sounded better.. Love your playin! Greetings from Cologne

Thanks for that .Best review on you tube and great guitar playing . Started Looking for an acoustic amp to use D.I. with current PA and based on this I think the Fishman will be best . Thanks again

Nice review, excellent player . AER for J45. Fish man for the others.

Hard to make comparisons on KZfaq. As you said it is hard to get the settings to match. Blindly, I prefer the AER, seems smoother and less shrill. I have the AER Compact Mobile 2, so that is a huge plus.

Great review. I have an AER 60/2 and your video made feel i made the right choice for my personal sound ✌️

I find no fault in either amp. The fishman certainly shines in this application and is highly popular for value vs cost. I would have to personally hear both together to decide. I own the Roland AC 60, Shertler Jam 100, and Crate 125, Fender Acoustasonic junior. So why am I looking? Because the sound is not as satisfyingly as I expected.

Both fantastic amps, for me the AEG is a much more natural sounding amp giving a better and truer acoustic sound. With the vocals I thought the AEG needed a touch more reverb and therein lies an issue not having a separate reverb channel control.

Excellent review. Really enjoyed your wonderful playing! Thanks.

The amps are so close. I've had the Loudbox mini for a couple years. Been checking demos on the AER but I now think the change is not worth it. I actually prefer the sound of the Ibanez over the Gibsons. Just my opinion. Thanks for posting this well done comparison.

Great review, thnak you for your work.

Good review Thor! I might steal a couple of those lovely chord voicings of yours..... Sweet! As regards the amps...... I’m gonna give it to the Fishmen. It just has a fuller sound for me and just sounded warmer. Cheers Thor, keep posting 🤘

The Fishman is sweeter and more musical. They're both very nice but both have different characters. The AER seems to be more streamlined, more focused, more compressed.

From your great video the Fishman sounds much better to me, but everyone seems to say the AER is next level. I have a Fishman Performance and really like it.

Hey, I really enjoy your channel and your playing! Do you think loudbox mini is also loud enough to serve as PA (for vocals only) for a 4-piece band (blue, rock mostly)? For example, in the gigs that you’ve uploaded from the blues/jazz club, do you think you could have used the loud box mini for your vocals? I’m looking for an amp that I can use for solo gigs (just me and guitar) but it would be helpful if I can use it as a PA for gigs too, when the venue doesn’t have a PA. I like the portability of loudbox mini but am looking at loudbox performer too. Thanks a lot!

Hi Thor, like your channel ! We are musically on the same wavelenght. I sold my aer 60 years ago because I had not many acoustic gigs. After your review I dont regret my decision. The aer sounded a tiny bit more cultivated for the steelstrings. But for the nylonstring (piezo?) I found the fishman better , but both not really good comparing with a microphone. Pricewise the fishman beats the aer ! The aer costs a thousand bucks , the Fishman not more than 300. So when in need for an acoustic gig I would consider rather the Fishman than buying the aer again.

Are both units mic'd up to a bigger speaker? I have the Fishman but recently 'upgraded' to an EV speaker - but now I have no effects (reverb...) and thought I need to buy a mixer. Now I think I can use a mic in front of the Fishman and get the power/volume of the EV, is that right? Thanks for the demo. Enjoyed your playing.

Have been looking for an AMP for months now...my budget goes to about EU1500. Problem is nobody is telling me what is the best for Vocals and (!) Acoustic (Martin D18 with K&K western mini) Thank you. Note: mostly bars with 10/15 people.

Its wrong what you are telling, the effects are adjustable by the Pan-Potentiometer to divide effects between 1st ans 2nd channel

Hi, very good job. Thx, next pls :D

Interesting, In your comparison I preferred the AER on the steel string guitars and the Fishman for the nylon. My experience with AER vs Loudbox: I've owned the slightly more expensive and feature packed AER classic pro for 12 years, using it occasionally for a Lavalier miked Ramirez 1a concert classical. Since outlaying the money for it I've had the opportunity to try the loudbox series a few times and definitely prefer the Fishman over the AER for classical guitar. Fishman are under half the price of the AER as well. The AER to my ears have much too much transparent hi-fi presence, which nullifies the inherent warmth of a classical guitar. I've had to employ extra EQ into send/return loop to knock out both the high freq sibilance and bass cut in order to combat "proximity effect" caused by close miking a cardiod mic. The AER's eq just wasn't beefy enough. I didn't expect to have to engage in that extra hassle after paying top dollar for the amp. To my surprise I find in your demo that the AER is having the opposite effect on the steel strings. To me it seemed to warm them up and add more body to their tone. The Fishman gave better definition or focus to the steel strings but less warmth. To my ear the opposite seems to occur for the nylon instruments. The caveat to my observations lies in the unknown factor your use of a dynamic mic may have introduced to the comparisions, as I've only used goose neck mounted lavalier condenser mics in my personal experience. So I strongly suggest people use their ears to select an amp and don't allow pricing to unduly influence their perception of the sonic quality they seek.

Thank you. Great demo. When I started gigging solo I bought the Roland AC60 because it was stereo, and it has a lot more ins/outs, sub, mute etc. it is good, but it’s also heavy and doesn’t sound anywhere near as good as my new LoudBox mini. The LoudBox is light and really makes my Martin DC-Aura GT sing. Because I play in a lot of worship settings, I do miss the mute function. ✌️❤️🙏🇦🇺

So, first off, amazing playing, and singing, Thor, you have a beautiful sensitivity and technique. I listened to this both with a portable JBL speaker (which over-emphasizes the bass) and JBL studio monitors (those are incredibly good, and neutral, as you know). My conclusions? * The AER seemed to me clearly more articulate and crisp. Basically, it probably has higher quality components, particularly the speaker(s). * However, the Fishman sounded overall better, particularly in vocals. It seemed to me very c lear, when I used the monitors, that the AER had a lot less low end (bass and lower mids) in the EQ. Monitors are almost perfectly flat and let you hear this kind of thing. Is it possible that because you you own the Fishman you are use to setting it up optimally for each of your axes? * Kudos for testing at loud volumes and pushing air/simulating a gig. It seems like the AER has more headroom? Also, it seems to me that it colors the guitar sound less than the Fishman (a good thing in an acoustic amp). Is the AER worth a 4 times higher price? (assuming money is not an issue). Maybe. It would be nice to hear them side by side with a more comparable EQ so the AER doesn't sound so thin. BTW, I know many bebop/harbop guitar players use the AER 60 with their archtops because of how clean it sounds. I was actually kicking me as I saw the 335 style guitar in the background, I was hoping you would play it in the demo. Thank you for taking the time! - Leo

To my ears, and I'm not a professional (although I do have qualifications in music technology, and have also been a DJ for over 30 years), I liked the Fishman sound better, but I think that was because of the EQ settings you had chosen. The AER sounded like you had the mid frequencies cut a little more, which gave it a slightly muddier sound compared to the Fishman. I think the AER bottom end sounded a lot more controlled yet also extended, and less drone than the Fishman. If you had used the EQ better, I'm sure the mids and top end of the AER would have also sounded much nicer. I use a Fishman loudbox artist myself, they are great amps for the money, but AER has a better quality sound.

Excellent song my friend !

Hello there...what cables do you use for the mic and what cables for the guitar? Thank you so much again...

Hi, wanting to record vocals and my acoustic guitar in my lounge (small room 4 metres by 4 metres). Thinking of getting AER 60 compact. What microphone would you recommend for vocals? I have camcorder with Rode stereo x microphone so wasn't sure if worth buying a microphone for such a small room? Thanks

Nice review Thor, as always ....two very good amps for gig, but the price tag amply justifies the Fishman, I think. I have also used the Fishman for recording, with one mic in front and the line out to get another separate track, with good results. Any experience/ideas on that?

Very good, but could be better if showing up the EQ adjustment…

Haha...tuned in for the amp demo's then forget about that and instead found myself listening to your excellent guitar playing and singing !!..😂.....I'd say for domestic home use which amp someone chooses might depend on the acoustics of the room they normally play in.....the Fishman for acoustically absorbant rooms...the AER for brighter rooms...eg...hard floors and reflective surfaces.

Good review. Nice setup- only thing you were missing was a nice hot cup of coffee and some gentle rain or snow falling outside a moonlit window. Both amps are great. I give the slight nod to the Fishman. I found it to be slightly warmer. I think the Fishman enclosure is more acoustic and 10x's more attractive. AER is quality but too industrial looking with that ugly molded plastic. Looks like roadie gear- nothing special about the way it looks. The AER is a terrible value relative to the equally good, if not better Fishman. I cannot say enough good things about my Fishman. I am not biased either- I could have bought any amp. After much research I landed on the Mini Loudbox and have zero regrets. I smile literally every time I play it- years later. Even my friend recently heard the first strummed note and his jaw dropped. He is a bright guy- former VP. He looked truly dumbfounded and said- how does that little thing sound so good? I smiled and said, it's a Fishman. He did not look any less confused! He then played it...and smiled. If I had to nitpick it would simply be that the effects could be better but I just got my Fractal FM9 so we are all good now. Your playing was outstanding! By chance *do you have the tab for that first thing you played on the Fishman?* It was very nice. I also owned the mini Loudbox and love it. AER sounds great too but it's pretty ugly. I would double down and buy a 2nd Fishman- one with battery power so I can take it camping. I would also use my active Radial Engineering AB/Y box at home and have true sound separation and/or stereo out of my Fractal FM9. With all this amazing gear, it is a great time to be a fiddler! Shout out to LR Baggs too- all very high quality gear...and playing! Cheers!

Fisman has more top end clarity. Sounded like the AER needed more boost, tweaking to cut thru

Generally with this type of comparison I am making comments about the cheaper product being good value for the money. However, I simply like the tone of the Mini better. I mean, it's definitely not a massive difference.

How much gain did you set on the Fishman..wish it has a light indicator..

Sounds like there is a compressor on the AER at the beginning of the video.

Great review of the amps. I wish you could have used a nicer guitar like a Martin or Taylor to get the best sound. Gibson just makes lousy acoustics. Granted the J45 is their best guitar I’m just not a fan of Gibson. I’d love to hear a Martin like the HD28 etc. Maybe a higher end Taylor.

I don't understand why you didn't mention the AER cost 4 times as much...?

Thank you very nuch Sir.. ı think Fihman :)

AER is made in Germany; Fishman made in China. I have the loud box artist - not happy with the quality especially the knobs. And the tolex started peeling and crumbling!

Thumbs up Fishman!!

I’d go with Fishman because need individual settings for mic than guitar

One thing that seldom (never?) gets tested is how an amp performs under live conditions in heavy-duty use. For example, I have owned a Fishman Loudbox mini charge for several years. It's a great amp BUT for one of my uses - street performing in a large open area at the volume I need - it won't even manage one hour of battery life (with a brand new battery). In fact, it starts distorting at around 30 minutes and is completely dead in an hour. OTOH, in a private party at a house - 30-40 people, it will perform perfectly for longer than I need it to. OTOH, AER only states their Compact Mobile will manage 3-4 hours, which doesn't sound good compared to Fishman's claim of 8-10+ hours. BUT, the AER can produce the necessary volume in the setting I mentioned, above, and do it for the 3-4 hours they claim. SO...when someone says the AER is not a good value, I'd say that it depends on what you need from the amp. In my case, the AER is a much better value than the Fishman because the Fishman simply cannot do what I need it to do - play for 2-3 hours at fairly high volume. SO...be sure you know what you NEED of an amp and then research to find out if it can deliver. Relying on opinions/tests of amps in a small room and evaluating performance is only useful if that's the way you plan to use it.

If got money get AER if not fishman good money and good sound also…

Hi Thore thank you very very much for a great test and playing!!! Can I also say than you very very much for saying which amp you where using each time you switched. I am non sighted and so many people do not say which product they are using so if you can not see the screen you have no idea they just switch or they say this one, this one, this one, and point thank you very very much!!!!!! Joe

Think of the use of pan.potentiometer, so you can adjust the effects for each of the channels 1 and 2, so what you are telling here is not true

I just now heard this as I am looking for a good acoustic amp. I'm not a professional audiophile, but been told I have a good ear what I can say is beautiful sounds just came through, both Gibson's and the amps with the Aer lower end a little brighter cleaner on the the Ibanez seemed like they reversed the low and bright with the fishman still slightly cleaner. That 84 I think Ibanez was so beautiful sounding I was almost in tears. So what ever I think everyone hears different things and thanks nature for us All being different. Thank you for the best comparison I've ever heard and seen.

The AER has a better truer acoustic sound, more rounded. The Fishman stills sounds good. Since AER is four times more expensive ... unless you have the money ... go with the Fishman.

AER more natural 👍👍

Dang, the Fishman wins hands down!

Fishman for me

I think the Fishman sounds more natural 🧐

Regardless the amp you made each guitar sound like they wanted to sound.

Fishman has better detailed highs.Aer is warmer sounding

Unjustified price difference. Acus Is the winner price and performance wise

Y'en a un qui coute 1500$ pis l'autre 500$

Fishman

Weird comparison. $500 amp vs $1200 amp.

Erm. Err. Errr. Erm. Errrmmm. Errr. Erm.

God so much babbling Cut film and cut down the chatter

Fishman sounds tons better.